


Well Deserved

by BaronVonChop



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Batuu, Black Spire Outpost, Budding ReyRose, Established FinnPoe, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Happy Vi because Vi deserves to be happy, Hondo Ohnaka cameo, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronVonChop/pseuds/BaronVonChop
Summary: Our heroes take some time off.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Rose Tico
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Well Deserved

**Author's Note:**

> I'm basically the target audience for Galaxy's Edge (aka Star Wars Land) at Disneyland. Black Spire Outpost is the in-universe name for this part of the theme park.
> 
> Thanks as always to my amazing beta reader! Any remaining mistakes are my own.

"So, what should we do first?" Finn leaned across the table, his face radiating excitement. "Shopping? Eating? Exploring?"

The group sat around rough wooden tables outside the Docking Bay 7 restaurant. From inside the restaurant came the sounds of grinding machinery and deep metallic clangs as cargo containers got moved around, packed, and unpacked. It was late in the morning, sunny with only a few clouds in the sky. It would be warmer later, once the suns had risen higher, so the group was dressed lightly.

Everyone wore something different from their usual garb, partly in an attempt to go unrecognized, and partly due to Poe's insistence that wearing colorful and outlandish clothing was an integral part of the vacation experience. This meant brightly printed shirts, shorts with lots of pockets, swooshy skirts, or colorful dresses. The thing Poe had the most input on was the headgear.

They had all chosen vacation-appropriate hats, with Poe's guidance. Poe himself wore a hat with mesh sides, a broad brim, and a cord that went below his chin. Finn had on a cap with a long brim and a flap of cloth hanging down in the back to cover his neck. Rey wore a soft, bucket-style hat. Rose had on a wide-brimmed hat woven out of dried palm fibers. Jannah chose a translucent, bright green visor that would not interfere with her braids. Kaydel Ko had been resistant to the idea of vacation headwear at first, until she found a huge, lavender hat which she wore with a pair of round-lensed sunglasses. Chewbacca wore a dapper straw hat with a bright pink hatband. Poe had nothing to do with that choice, as it turned out. Chewie already owned the hat and planned to wear it anyway.

"Let's pace ourselves," Poe replied, sipping from his Gold Squadron Lager. "Remember, the point is to relax. There's no need to do everything at once."

Jannah stirred her Surly Sarlacc. "Oh, I definitely plan to relax. I've got my drink and this is a nice spot. I don't plan to move from here unless I have to." She shrugged and gave a lazy smile.

"That's the spirit!" Poe said.

Rey slouched. "So we're just going to sit here?"

"You don't have to," Poe replied quickly. "But the option is there."

Finn leaned into Poe's side. Exactly how long he and Poe had been dating depended on who you asked. Poe counted it from the escape from Crait, when they had finally sat down and talked about their relationship. Finn considered them to have been together since Poe gave him his name in the TIE fighter. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I haven't decided yet… BB-8, do you have any preference?" The droid chirped, its tone content. Poe laughed. "That's nice of you, buddy, but it doesn't really narrow anything down!"

Rey sat up. "Well, I'd like to check out the shops in the market. When I was on Batuu before, I spent most of my time helping the Resistance against the First Order, so I didn't have much time for sightseeing. Anyone want to come along?"

"That sounds like fun!" Rose said. She smiled at Rey. "Count me in!"

"Awesome," Rey said, returning Rose's smile. Then she quickly added. "Uh, right, does anyone else want to come along?"

Kaydel Ko leaned back, her elbows on the railing behind her. "Nah, I think I'm going to stay put with Jannah. I might check out some of the clothing shops later, but for now this is a great spot to do some people-watching."

"Chewie?" Rey asked.

The Wookiee thought about it, but he pointed down to where the _Millennium Falcon_ sat parked nearby and warbled something.

"Chewie would like to keep an eye on the _Falcon_ ," Rey translated. She looked at the way the Wookiee, who had nearly finished his drink, was eying the others'. "And, I suspect, finish anyone's drink who leaves anything in their glass." Chewie chuckled in assent.

"Thanks for the warning," Jannah laughed, scooting her drink closer.

Rey stood up. "All right, I'm gonna stretch my legs. Let's go check out that market." Rose took one last gulp of her tea and stood to join her. Rey turned to Finn and Poe. "How about you two?"

Finn looked at Poe, his face beseeching. Poe smiled fondly and nodded. "Sure, why not?" They stood. Poe looked at the others. "Should we meet back here for lunch?"

Kaydel Ko gave a little wave. "We'll be here! We'll hold the tables." She looked around. "It doesn't look too busy today, and nobody wants to take a table from a Wookiee." Chewbacca nodded.

"All right, we'll see you then!" Poe said. Rey, Rose, Finn, and Poe waved goodbye for now and walked off, with BB-8 rolling after them. They strolled past Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities and Ronto Roasters to the market. Numerous colorful awnings stretched between the narrow apartments above the shops. Conversations and the sounds of daily life floated down from the apartments, mingling with the sounds of tourists and locals ambling between the stores, admiring the wares or stopping to chat with friends.

Rose walked over to a water station. "Does anyone need to fill their canteens? It's going to be a warm day." As they checked, one of the water tanks began to bubble and an eyeball on a stalk emerged from the water, looked around, and ducked back underwater.

Finn did a quick about-face. "We're good."

"Oh! Look at this!" Rey said, her face lighting up. She hurried over to a shop with bins and racks stacked with handmade toys, either carved from wood or sewn from fabric. Poe, Finn, Rose, and BB-8 followed as she lifted each toy. The wooden toys looked solid and nice to hold, without any pokey bits of pieces that could easily break off. The stuffed toys had pleasantly floppy limbs, neither too loose nor too stiff. She handed a small stuffed tooka cat to Finn. "I would have loved to have a toy like this when I was little! Or any toy I didn't have to make myself, really."

Finn took the tooka reverently. "I would have loved to have any toys at all," he murmured. "One time I stuffed a sock into another sock and drew a face on it with boot polish, but the quartermaster took it and cut my rations for a week for ‘frivolous use of First Order property.' This is way cuter than Socky, though."

Rose put her hand on Finn's shoulder. "Finn…"

Finn chuckled, self-conscious. "I know that sounds incredibly sad…"

"Because it is," Poe said, his voice determined. "We're getting you that tooka!"

"Oh!" Finn said quickly, snapping out of it. "Oh, c'mon Poe, you don't have to, it's a silly toy…" He looked around for which stack of toys the tooka had come from, but when he found them, he couldn't quite bring himself to put the toy back down.

"Nonsense, buddy, you're getting it," Poe said, and BB-8 gave a definitive beep. Finn knew better than to argue. "How about you, Rey, what are you getting?"

Rey was about to decline when Rose lifted a mostly-orange stuffed figure out of a bin. "How about this one? Didn't you tell me that you had something similar when you were little?"

Rose handed it to Rey, who saw that it was a little pilot, wearing the familiar orange flight suit. "Yeah," she said, her eyes getting misty. "I left Jakku in such a hurry that I didn't have time to bring anything with me."

"Wait a second," Finn said, stepping closer. "Can I see that?"

Rey looked puzzled, but she handed the figure over. Finn said, "It's got a black helmet, and that stubble… I mean, could it be…"

"Poe, it's you!" Rose exclaimed.

"Yeah, right,," Poe said, despite the obvious evidence to the contrary. He looked at the Rodian shopkeeper. "Is this…?" He remembered that they were supposed to be incognito. "Is this the famous and handsome Resistance pilot, Poe Dameron?"

The shopkeeper, "Um, we usually just sell it as a Resistance pilot. It might be based on Captain Dameron… let me check…" He ducked through a door into the back of the shop.

"That's _Commander_ Dameron," Poe muttered. "My rank was reinstated after Crait."

The group noticed a glazed window into the back of the shop, where they could see the silhouette of a Toydarian carving a new toy. The Rodian's silhouette appeared a moment later, and the two of them spoke for a few moments before the Rodian returned. "I spoke to Zabaka. She's the owner and the one who makes the toys. She confirms that the toy's design is based on Captain Dameron."

Finn spoke up. "I think you mean _Commander_ Dameron," he said loyally.

"Er, you know, I think you're right…" mused the Rodian. "In any case, we have a number of other toys based on Resistance heroes, if that's what you're interested in." He motioned toward a display on the other side of the store.

"Rey!" Rose exclaimed, so suddenly that the others jumped. "Er, I mean, look, they have Rey!" She hurried over and lifted the toy. "She has such a determined look on her little face! Oh, she's so cute!" She saw Finn and Poe exchange a look. Blushing, she said, "And Finn, look!" She picked up a toy of Finn wearing a tiny replica of the jacket Poe had given him.

"Okay, we are definitely getting these!" Poe said.

At that moment, perhaps attracted by their enthusiasm, a small Zabrak child led her parents into the store. "Wow, they have Wey!" the child lisped. Rey beamed at the child and handed her a Rey toy. The child's voice went up an octave with excitement. "And Kywo, too!" She reached out and took a toy Rey hadn't seen yet. She held one toy in each hand, face to masked face. "Kywo, my dawk pwince…"

Rose looked at Rey, her eyes wide, while Finn and Poe tried valiantly to keep straight faces, though the occasional snort of laughter escaped.

Rey looked down at the Zabrak, who was absorbed in her game while her parents went to the register to pay. "Hey there," Rey said, crouching down. "Are you sure you want that Kylo? Wouldn't you rather have Rey's friends, like Finn or Poe?" She took down one of each of those toys and held them out to the child.

The child turned away, uninterested. "Oh Wey, you awe so pwetty, let me kiss you, mwah mwah mwah…"

Rey looked aghast. She tried another tactic. "I think that Kylo figure may be faulty! Better take a Finn or a Poe, or any others… maybe Rey wants a pet tooka? Or look, you could even get a Jabba, if you like the bad guys."

"Ew! Jabba's gwoss!" the child declared.

"I'll bet he's a better kisser than Kylo," Finn whispered to Poe, which was too much for them, and they both had to leave the store as they started laughing. The child's parents gave the two chortling men a curious look as they finished paying and led their child to the next shop.

The child began to bawl. The Kylo doll's head had fallen off... or perhaps it had been ripped off. Rose looked at Rey. "Did you…?"

Rey shrugged and tried to look innocent. "I did warn her that the doll might be faulty…"

Poe and Finn came back inside to pay for the toys they had selected. "Oh, we should grab a Chewie, too," Rey said, seeing a pile of stuffed, extra-hairy toy Wookiees. "I'll bet he'll hate it!"

"Maybe he'll give it to his son," Finn suggested.

"Great idea!" Rose said. "It'll be perfect for when Lumpawaroo is annoyed with Chewie." They all chuckled.

BB-8 gave a chirp and pointed out a stack of BB-8 dolls as well. Grinning, Poe took the toys and paid for all of them.

As they left the store, Rose comforted Rey. "That little kid doesn't know what she's talking about. To her, you're just a legend."

Rey shook her head and blew out some air. "Some legend. Hey, they should make toys of you, too! Without you, we never would have put up a fight on Crait, or figured out how to take down the Final Order's Star Destroyers on Exegol."

Rose gave a broad smile and a nervous laugh. "A toy of me? No thanks! I'll leave that sort of thing to the last Jedi, the Resistance poster boy, and the Stormtrooper who stood up to the First Order."

"I don't mind being a toy," Poe said. "Or having posters of me on peoples' walls." He puffed out his chest and struck a pose. Finn knew he was saying it to make him laugh, but it worked anyway.

Finn took the Finn and Poe toys. "How was that little kid doing it? ‘Oh, Poe, you'we so bwave and handsome…' Mwah, mwah…"

Poe grinned and gave Finn a kiss on the cheek. "Mwah."

Rey hung back a bit with Rose. "Kylo Ren was the worst, but Ben Solo was all right. I wish I could have gotten to know him better." Rose's eyes widened a little and she opened her mouth to say something, but Rey continued, "But before you think there's any truth to what that kid was saying, I only kissed him because he brought me back to life. I got caught up in the moment, and it seemed like the thing to do. He really was an all right guy, at the end there. And I'm pretty sure I was dead a moment before, so, keep that in mind, too."

Rose smiled wider and laughed with relief. "Oh. Okay. Yeah, great. Awesome."

Finn paused the makeout session between the Finn and Poe toys. "Now I wish there was a Rose toy!" Both Rey and Rose blushed hard.

Poe swatted his shoulder. "Leave them alone!"

They stuck their heads in some of the other shops, admiring the clothes in Black Spire Outfitters. Poe held up a replica Jedi robe. "These should save you some time for when you start training the next generation of Jedi!" He held it out to Finn. "Hey, you should try this on!"

Finn laughed softly and hung it back on the rack. His Force sensitivity still felt strange to discuss, and he did not know when he would be ready to start any serious Jedi training. There was so much else to do.

Poe could tell from the look on Finn's face that he had started thinking about serious topics, so he gestured to a mannequin wearing earth tones. "Or, you could dress like a local. Bright suns!" That earned him a glare from the shopkeeper. They decided to move on.

It was easy to find the Creature Stall, as the occasional mew, bark, chirp, or croak could be heard coming from the store. Cages lined the walls and hung from the ceiling.

Rose rushed over to the large cage in the center of the store, where a sleeping tooka cat snuggled a stuffed doll. "Oh, look at it! Isn't that just the cutest thing you've ever seen in your whole life?"

"It's one of them, yeah," Rey said, smiling and ducking her head while looking at Rose. Rose found herself smiling, too, and perhaps it was not just because of the tooka.

Poe tried to catch Finn's eye to make sure he had noticed, but Finn was walking over to the shopkeeper, a human woman. "I'm surprised the animals are so quiet," Finn commented. "It's almost like they don't mind being in cages."

"Bright suns!" the shopkeeper greeted him. "We only have them in the store for a few hours each," the shopkeeper said. "They spend most of their time on the nearby farms where they're raised. Each one only comes into the shop once every couple of days. It keeps them from getting too antsy."

Finn smiled with relief. He didn't like the idea of animals being kept in cages. "That sounds like a good system."

"Yeah, and if any of them seems to be getting anxious while they're here, we take them out for a walk. If that doesn't do the trick, we send them back to the farm early." She turned to one of the creatures, a round-bodied bird-like creature with a flat face and wide eyes. It was hopping from foot to foot and chirping loudly. "Like this little porg here." It cocked its head at her. "I should probably take you for a walk, huh? Guess I'll need to close up the shop for a bit."

Rose looked up from the sleeping tooka. "Oh, that's a shame. Do you close up shop every time you take an animal for a walk?"

"Normally there are a couple of us watching the store, but today my coworker called in sick, and nobody was available as a last-minute replacement. But it's not a big deal."

Finn looked at Poe, then at the shopkeeper. "What if we were to take it on a walk for you?"

"Oh, would you? That'd be so kind of you!" The shopkeeper hesitated. "Are you sure, though? I feel like I'd be imposing--"

"It's no trouble at all!" Finn insisted. "He's so cute. It'll be fun!"

"Well, all right. Let me get him in his harness."

When the shopkeeper had finished putting the creature in its harness, she handed the attached leash to Finn. "Bring him back when he seems calmer. Or, if he's not calmer after an hour, bring him back and I'll take him back to the farm. Oh, and if he does his business," she handed him some bags, "put it in one of these and dump it in the nearest waste bin."

Poe leaned down to pet the porg's head. It purred, then nipped for his finger. "Yikes! But that reminds me. We should probably get back and have something to eat ourselves."

Finn asked the shopkeeper, "Is it all right if we take him over by the restaurants?"

She laughed and nodded. "Porgs will eat basically anything, so he'll probably beg for whatever you're eating. You don't have to feed him if you don't want to. He's got plenty to eat here in the shop." She gestured toward tins and bins of kibble. "But if you do feed him something, it won't upset his tummy."

"We'll be back soon!" Finn said. "And thank you!"

"No, thank you!" the shopkeeper said as they left.

They took their time returning, as the porg wanted to explore and sniff a lot of plants and machinery along the way. They passed Ronto Roasters, where a droid turned several trussed-up animal carcassess on spits over the flame from an old podracer engine. The porg hurried inside. Finn allowed it to approach the roasting meat, but had to hold it back by the leash when it suddenly flew up and tried to take a bite.

"Mischievous little fella," Finn remarked as he rejoined the others.

"He should be careful," Poe mused, "or he might find himself being roasted, too! I'll bet he'd be delicious."

Rey laughed. "Don't let Chewie hear you saying that. I think part of him still wishes he could eat one..."

They returned to Docking Bay 7, where Jannah and Kaydel Ko were still waiting. The two waved the group over and they sat down.

"Where's Chewie?" Rey asked.

"He got hungry and already ate," Kaydel Ko said. "Then he wanted to take a look at something on the _Falcon_."

"I hope he's not planning on doing a lot of work," Rose said. "We're here on vacation."

Jannah nodded and raised her glass. "That's what we told him."

"Don't worry," Rey said. "Working on the _Falcon_ is what Chewie does to relax. You couldn't stop him if you tried." She smiled. "And I don't recommend trying."

Kaydel Ko raised her eyebrows at Finn. "Did you get a new pet?"

"Nah, I'm just taking this guy out for a walk," Finn said. "I'll take him back to the shop in a bit."

"He's kind of cute," Jannah said. "But weird-looking! But cute." She laughed.

"Well, let's eat!" Poe said. There was a chorus of agreement.

They entered the restaurant, which was also a working cargo bay. The booths inside were made of shipping containers open on one side, with tables and chairs inside. Above, more shipping containers, these still in use, hung suspended from chains as they waited to be loaded or unloaded.

As the group passed diners eating lunch, the porg made surprisingly quick, toddling runs at several of the tables in an attempt to snatch food. Each time, it was only Finn's quick reflexes that prevented the little creature from making off with someone's meal. After the third time, Finn sighed and gathered up the porg in his arms. It squirmed as he said, "Maybe I should wait outside. Order something for me?"

Poe kissed his cheek. "Okay. Save our seats!"

Finn put the porg back down and made his way back out. The porg didn't let its previous failures stop it from trying again to steal people's food. As he waited outside, he reflected that at least all the running around seemed to be tiring the creature out.

His friends returned with their meals. Poe carried two plates and offered them to Finn. "Yobshrimp and noodle salad or nuna salad?"

"Those both look good," Finn said, repeatedly pushing the porg's head down as it tried to sniff the food. "I think I'll take… the yobshrimp and noodles."

"All yours!" Poe set the plate down in front of Finn and sat next to him with the other plate. Finn now found himself faced with the dilemma of how to eat while simultaneously keeping the porg from either escaping or eating their food. In the end, the porg solved the problem for him. It ran around under the table and the chairs, trying to sniff everyone's meals, until its leash was so tangled up that it was corralled under the table. It sat down on its rump, puzzled by this new dilemma. Finn fed it some bites of his food to keep it quiet.

Rey ate her shaak ribs with the same intensity she always showed at meals, methodically gnawing one rib clean after another. She was still not entirely used to the idea of conversation during meals. Rose paused from eating and asked Kaydel Ko and Jannah, "So, how was your people watching? Did you see anyone interesting?"

Kaydel Ko nodded, thinking back. "Yeah, we saw lots of great looks. I follow Coruscant fashion pretty closely, but we're far from Coruscant, so a lot of it was new to me. There are some pretty shady folks this far out, and some of them have the best outfits! A lot of layers." She smiled. "Ponchos are back!"

Rey pointed a half-gnawed rib at her. "Hey, ponchos never go out of style."

Kaydel Ko grinned. "Okay, fine, point taken!"

Jannah gave the others a sly look. "We actually just saw one especially odd-looking bunch. Real fashion disasters."

Finn noticed Poe start to grin, and he smiled, too. "Oh?"

"They all had the silliest-looking hats on," Jannah continued, but she couldn't keep a straight face, and soon they were all laughing.

When they had finished eating, they sat around, sipping their drinks and chatting. Chewbacca called over to them as he came over, checking in on how they were doing and sniffing to see if anyone had leftovers.

"Hey, Chewie!" Rey said. "We got you something!"

Poe leaned down for the toy, but before he found it, the porg broke free from under the table and ran straight at Chewbacca. Chewbacca took one look at the approaching lump of feathers and roared, eyes wide.

"Wait, no," Poe began. "Chewie, that's not the…"

Chewbacca was not listening. He had already turned and booked it back to the _Falcon_ , raising the ramp so quickly the group heard the hydraulics whining in protest.

Jannah quirked an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

Rey explained, "Chewie said that the _Falcon_ has already seen more than its share of porgs!"

Finn caught up with the porg and brought it back to the table. Its latest escape attempt seemed to have finally worn it out, and it blinked sleepily and tottered a bit on its webbed feet. Finn said, "Looks like this little guy's about ready to head back to the shop. Should we take him back?"

The group was done eating, so Poe, Rey, and Rose stood to join Finn, and BB-8 rolled along. Jannah and Kaydel Ko lounged in their chairs and idly looked over the people walking by. Rose crossed her arms. "Back to people watching?"

Kaydel Ko smiled somewhat sheepishly. "I could do this all day!"

Rose wasn't having it. "You should at least get up and walk around a bit. Go check out the market. There are some stores you might like."

Kaydel Ko made a big show of sighing and looking over and Jannah, who sighed even more loudly and looked at Kaydel Ko. Jannah shrugged. "Sounds like we gotta."

"All right," Kaydel Ko said. As she stood, she sighed once more, and it was so loud and overdone that she cracked herself up.

On their way back, the porg tried to roost in one of the statues outside Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities. As Finn got it down, Kaydel Ko paused. "Now this looks like an interesting place to window shop."

Rey cast a dubious glance over the statues. They did not seem like they were from Batuu. "I don't know if I like this place."

Finn picked up the ambling porg. "Come take this guy back with me. We'll meet back up later." Rey nodded, and they left.

Poe, BB-8, Rose, Jannah, and Kaydel Ko entered Dok Ondar's. The store's walls were covered with weapons, gear, and the stuffed and mounted heads of animals from all over the galaxy. The shop had a musty smell. Shelves and display cases showcased the wares. Rose and Kaydel Ko gawked at a case containing a baby sarlacc, where a transparisteel window allowed them to see the creature's bulbous body burrowed under the dirt.

"That is seriously gross," murmured Kaydel Ko, enraptured.

"But cool," said Rose, nudging her.

"Yeah, but gross," said Kaydel Ko, nudging her back.

Poe nearly jumped when he saw that he was standing just below a stuffed wampa on the second floor. Jannah laughed. "Relax, Dameron, it's not gonna pounce you."

Poe eyed the creature's fierce pose. "Whoever prepared that thing did a good job. Maybe too good a job!"

A booth by the wall was raised up and separated from the shoppers by a wire screen. A hammer-headed Ithorian worked there, turning from an abacus where he calculated his profits to a console listing inventory. His eyestalks lifted to observe Poe, and he rumbled something.

An Imwati worker came over. He smoothed his feathery hair down, then clasped his hands together and smiled. "Dok wonders if you might be interested? You could tell your friends you hunted it yourself, on the frosty world of Kijimi…"

Poe cut him off. "Buddy, I've been to Kijimi, and we didn't have anything like that!"

Dok Ondar grunted something at the worker. The worker's smile widened. "Of course I meant Hoth."

Poe frowned. "No thanks. If I had that thing anywhere in my quarters, I might never sleep again."

Jannah tapped her chin, thinking. "I don't know… now that I think about it, maybe I could use one of those…"

Poe smiled, shaking his head, as he pointed a playful finger of warning at Jannah. "If you're considering buying it just so you can hide it somewhere I'll come across it…"

Jannah widened her eyes in mock surprise. "I would never! But now that you mention it, that's not a bad idea…"

Kaydel Ko saved Poe by calling the worker over. "Hey, can we get a closer look at that?" she asked, pointing to a metal staff-like weapon with a hooked spike on one end and bladed fins on the other.

"Ah, the gaffi stick!" said the worker, pleased. "Also known as the gaderffi. It is used by the Tusken Raiders of Tatooine." He glanced at Dok Ondar, who nodded acknowledgement. "Allow me to get it down for you."

Kaydel Ko turned to Rose and Jannah. "Get ready to take a holo!" The Omwati handed her the gaffi stick, and she raised it over her head, brandishing it while letting out a guttural yell. Rose and Jannah took holos of her, trying to keep their devices steady while their shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

Kaydel Ko handed the weapon back to the worker. "Oh, how about that axe next?" she asked.

The worker narrowed his eyes, unamused. "I would be happy to retrieve items for serious purchasing inquiries." He let that hang in the air.

Kaydel Ko shrugged and headed for the door. "I'm about ready to head out," she said. The others followed, but they paused for a few more quick holos when Kaydel pretended to blow a kiss to a stuffed tauntaun head.

Once outside, they looked around for Finn and Rey. They found them leaving Savi's Workshop, an unassuming building with neatly-stacked piles of mechanical parts outside. Both groups waved to each other and were soon reunited.

Poe nodded at the workshop. "How was that place?"

Finn's face was introspective and his voice quiet. "We only looked inside for a few minutes after dropping the porg off at the pet store. The owner is an interesting man. He's very kind and seems to know a lot about the Force."

Rey added, "We'll visit him again in a few days when he has more time. I think we'll have a lot to talk about."

Finn gestured toward Dok Ondar's. "Did you get anything?" he asked.

"Nah," said Kaydel Ko, "but show him the holos of me with that stick thing!"

After Finn and Rey admired the holos, the group discussed what to do next.

"I'd like to check out the market," Jannah said.

Kaydel Ko nodded. "Count me in!"

Poe turned to Rose, Finn, and Rey. "What do you want to do?"

Before the humans could respond, BB-8 chirped a suggestion.

"The Droid Depot?" Poe asked. "Are you sure?"

BB-8 rolled back and forth, wobbling his head a bit and beeping.

Poe said, "Okay, but there's going to be a lot of busted-up droids and droid parts lying around."

BB-8 cocked his head to the side, considering, then gave an affirmative beep. He turned and rolled off, with his friends following behind.

They could tell they had arrived at the building when they saw some deactivated droids outside. BB-8 glanced at them, then rolled inside, with his friends following. The shop was crowded with droids and parts of droids, wiring and circuits hanging out of most of them. The air was sharp with the smell of oil and warm metal. Shelves and alcoves contained more parts, often displaying the heads of rare or unusual droids. A mechanical rumbling sound made them look up, and they saw a conveyor belt along the ceiling carrying dangling droid limbs and torsos around the store. A long work table dominated the main room, where several mechanics assembled droids from parts. Another conveyor belt built into the table carried bodies, limbs, and heads for smaller droids.

Rose blew out a breath. "On second thought, I think I'll go find Kaydel Ko and Jannah and check out those shops. There were a few I wanted to spend a bit more time in, and all these half-built droids look too much like work."

They waved to each other as Rose turned to go. Poe said, "Let's meet up at the cantina tonight for dinner and drinks, okay?"

Rose gave him a friendly salute. "You got it, Commander!"

A Harch approached Rey, Finn, and Poe. She wore a thick apron with at least a dozen tools in pockets or straps. Her many eyes took them in as she wiped two of her hands with a cloth held in two more hands. "Bright suns!" she said in greeting, her fangs clicking while the fuzzy chelicerae beside her mouth moved aside in a smile. "Perhaps that BB unit could use a tune-up?" BB-8 squawked indignantly, and the worker chuckled. "How about a new droid, then? Would it like a companion?"

BB-8 opened a panel and extended a claw toward Poe, beeping to indicate who he considered his companion. Poe added, "We're just looking, thanks."

"Take your time!" the Harch said. "And if you have any questions, just let me know."

They walked around the store, looking at the various droids and parts. Poe recognized a lot of the models. "Look, they have an old Imperial KX security droid." He nodded at a long-limbed black droid whose head sat near its body. "Those things were pretty nasty. And look at this!" He hurried over to a droid whose head resembled a thin cylinder. "Roger, roger!" he said in a creaky voice.

"What's that?" Finn asked, coming over to Poe while Rey remained behind, still studying the KX droid.

"Aw, c'mon!" Poe said. He found the droid's hand and pointed it at Rey, who had picked up the KX droid's head and was fiddling with something in its neck. "Die, Jedi scum! Roger, roger!"

Finn chuckled. "Is that from the Clone Wars?"

"Yeah. Believe it or not, these things really gave the Jedi and the clones a fight. My folks used to tell me stories they heard from a clone soldier who fought in the Rebellion."

"He must have been pretty old," Finn observed. Rey, meanwhile, had started rummaging around amid various other droids and piles of parts, picking up pieces.

"Yeah, he was, but my folks talked about him like he was a living legend. Which he was, really."

They both looked over as the droid head in Rey's hands sparked to life. "Locking… vault door… now," it said, its eyes flickering, before going quiet again. "Good… bye…"

The Harch hurried over to her. Rey quickly put the head back. "Sorry! I was just looking! And, erm, tinkering. But just a bit!"

"You got that thing working again?" the Harch asked, her scratchy voice impressed. "It's been in here for ages. Long before I started here, that's for sure. We'd pretty much given up hope that it could be repaired."

Rey considered the droid. There was something oddly sad about its simple face. "How much would you want for it?"

The Harch was about to answer when Poe stepped up and added, "It's in pretty bad condition. You just said nobody here can repair it."

"That's true." The worker named a price.

Rey turned from the Harch to look beseechingly at Poe. Poe considered it. "It seems like a fair price," he said.

Rey paid, then added, "Is it okay if we leave him here for a few days? We'll be by to pick him up later."

"Not a problem at all! We'll have him in the back for you. ‘Til the spires!"

They headed out. "Where to next?" Poe asked.

Finn said, "Rey, wasn't there a Resistance base near here?"

Rey pointed down a path leading away from the outpost. "Yeah, in an abandoned temple over that way. I've been curious to check it out."

Poe nodded and smiled. "Sounds like a plan!"

The path led them away from the outpost and through a forest. It was pleasant, with a breeze blowing through the leaves of the trees and the sounds of animals calling to each other. They reached a clearing, and the temple, nearly overgrown with trees, rose up behind. In front of the temple, a powered-down turbolaser turret guarded the entrance. In the clearing itself was something they did not expect: several modified mobile supply carts, their sides open to reveal shirts, jackets, pins, model ships, and other Resistance-related merchandise.

Rey's mouth quirked up and she gave a chuckle of disbelief. "This wasn't here before!"

The three of them walked up to the carts, where tourists checked out the wares while Resistance crew members answered their questions. The carts stocked an astonishing variety of items. Some of the merchandise seemed to be surplus from the war against the First Order, but a lot of it was clearly made for sale, featuring famous people and ships from the war.

A woman in a red jacket with black hair and blue tips approached them. "Hey, look who it is," she said, breaking into a grin as she looked at Rey. "I didn't know you were coming!"

"Vi!" Rey said, smiling in return. She noticed several curious glances in their direction. "Uh, let's chat over here," she said, and they walked a short way so that they were out of earshot of the shoppers.

"Are you on a mission?" Vi asked, her eyes widening with excitement while her grin never wavered.

"No," Rey reassured her. "We're just trying to keep a low profile. Actually, we're here on vacation."

"Even better!" Vi laughed.

"These are my friends Poe and Finn."

"Nice to meet you both!" Vi said, though she clearly already knew who they were.

Poe and Finn shook her hand. Poe said, "You must be Vi Moradi, the spy who established the base here. Rey has told us a lot about you!"

Finn added, "You did a lot to oppose the First Order!"

Vi waved off the compliment with a chuckle. "I only did my part. Plus, you have to remember that it was sort of my fault that the First Order came to Batuu."

Rey snorted. "Don't blame yourself. It was the First Order's fault that the First Order came to Batuu." She told Poe and Finn, "Vi is one of the bravest people I know. She even stood up to Kylo Ren."

Poe was suddenly serious. "If there's anyone in the galaxy who knows what that takes, it's us."

They shared a quiet moment together, reflecting on their journeys.

"So it's really over, huh?" Vi said. "I can still barely believe it sometimes."

"Yeah," Finn replied, his face stoic but his voice rich with emotion. "It's over. We won."

Vi put her hands on her hips. "I wish I could have been there. Finn, I heard you rode some sort of steed onto a Star Destroyer?"

Poe's smile was crooked and full of pride. "He sure did!"

"You should tell me about it sometime," Vi said. "Maybe we can even make a diorama to sell!"

"Speaking of which," Rey said, gesturing toward the supply carts, "what's all this?"

Vi laughed. "It's really something, isn't it? It all began during the celebration of the Final Order's defeat. We had some Resistance gear we realized we wouldn't need anymore, so we sold it to raise funds for veterans of the war."

Poe's eyebrows rose. "And the pins, and the models, and the holos…?"

"Yeah, well," Vi said, getting a bit self-conscious. "Even after the celebrations were over, people kept coming, and they still wanted to buy stuff. So we started making things! Truth be told, we've raised a pretty good chunk of credits. They even put my picture on a couple of things. I'm not as famous as any of you, but I guess the locals know me. It's strange. It must be even stranger for you, though, right?"

"It's a really good idea," Poe said quickly. "I mean, the toys of us at the marketplace were weirder."

Vi's eyes sparkled with delight. "So you saw those, huh?"

"We bought a bunch!" Finn laughed.

Vi laughed, too. "I gotta admit, I've got the whole set! Zabaka's toys are all so charming!"

"I'm glad we can see Black Spire Outpost during peacetime," Rey reflected. "It was beautiful when I was here before, but I didn't really have the time to appreciate it."

"I know just what you mean," Vi said. "Which reminds me, have you been to Oga's cantina yet?"

"Not yet," Rey said, "But we're planning to have dinner there in a bit. You should join us! You can meet our friends, and I'm sure Chewie would love to see you again!"

"Okay, but you have to let me treat you," Vi said. As all three of them started to protest, Vi raised her voice. "Consider it a sample of Batuu hospitality!"

That evening, they all met outside Oga's Cantina, where Rey introduced Vi to Rose and Kaydel Ko.

Vi said, "You know, being a mechanic and coordinating communications are both a bit like spying. You do the work behind the scenes to make sure that things go smoothly for those who are on the front line."

Kaydel Ko gave a disbelieving laugh. "Yeah, except spies do it behind enemy lines, whereas we worked back at our own base."

"Most of the time," Rose added, with a proud, somewhat mischievous smile.

Inside, they found a booth and gathered around the table. The center of the room was the bar, extending from one wall and nearly bisecting the room. Bartenders mixed drinks from a dizzying variety of taps and hoses, some of which seemed to connect to tanks holding amphibious creatures. A multi-limbed droid in an alcove managed a music system, bopping its oval head to the energetic beat. Groups of patrons stood at the bar and at standing tables or sat at other booths, talking and laughing.

Vi went to order, with Chewbacca accompanying her to help bring things back to the table. He turned out to also be helpful at clearing a path to the bar and getting a bartender's attention.

While they were off ordering, an elderly Weequay in a long, flamboyant coat approached their table with a swaggering step. He clasped his hands together, each finger decorated with at least one ring. "Hello there, my new friends! I bring you a business opportunity! May I join you for a moment? I promise to be brief!" He looked to Poe for approval, as he was the nearest one.

Poe looked dubiously at the smiling pirate, but Rose grinned at his appearance and Kaydel Ko was already laughing out loud. "Sure," Poe said, making room.

The pirate joined them. "I am Hondo Ohnaka! Perhaps you have heard of me? No? I am a well-known businessman in these parts. A pillar of the community!"

Someone at the next table laughed uproariously, and Hondo paused for a second before shrugging it off. "I am sure they just thought of something funny. In any case, I have a ship, and I have a shipment that needs transporting, and all I need is a crew!"

"What kind of ship?" Poe asked, intrigued despite himself.

"I have several," Hondo said, tugging on the lapels of his coat, "but for this job, it would be a YT-1300 I recently came into possession of! I used to have one just like it, you see. She was the fastest ship in the galaxy! And this new one is her spitting image. Well, maybe a bit more run-down, but she looks quite fast!"

Finn's eyebrows drew together. "You just acquired a YT-1300?"

"Yes indeed! But wouldn't you know it, the owners seem to have forgotten to leave me the keys. Would one of you by any chance know how to pick a spaceship lock?"

Rey leaned forward from where she had been sitting in shadow. "Hi, Hondo."

Hondo started to wave, then his hand froze as he recognized her. "Oh."

"I'm surprised you didn't try picking the lock yourself," Rey said, smiling despite herself.

Hondo stammered for a moment. "Well, I find it's always wise to leave the lock-picking to others..."

"At least in broad daylight," Rey added for him. "And it's evening now… you'd better hope Chewie doesn't catch you near the _Falcon_ tonight!"

Hondo's voice grew tremulous. "Chewbacca? He is here, too?"

Chewie and Vi chose that moment to appear behind him, both carrying trays of food and drinks. Chewbacca raised his tray over Hondo's head.

"Chewbacca my old friend!" Hondo said, suddenly speaking very quickly. "Surely you would not wish to waste such fine drinks and delicious foods upon me! I was just leaving!" He stepped aside, but could not stop himself from turning back when he was out of arm's reach. "And should any of you wish to make some credits while you are in town, stop by Ohnaka Transport Solutions!" Chewbacca growled, and Hondo hurried away.

Chewie and Vi laid their trays down and joined their friends. "All right," Vi said. "Lemme know who wants what! Does anyone not want alcohol?" The table was dead silent and expectant. "So, booze for everyone?" They all cheered. "Fair enough!" She held up a drink. "Fuzzy Tauntaun?"

Rose giggled. "Sure, why not?"

Vi handed it over. "Jedi Mind Trick?"

Poe nudged Rey, who scoffed and nudged him back. "Oh, so I have to drink it, because I'm a Jedi?"

Poe held up his hands. "You don't _have_ to, I just thought you might like to!"

"Wait, I know," said Kaydel Ko. She waved her hand in front of Rey's face. "You _will_ try the Jedi Mind Trick."

Rey smiled and took the drink while rolling her eyes. "Fine, fine." She took a sip. "You're lucky it tastes good!"

"Next up," Vi continued, "Jet Juice!" Everyone immediately looked at Poe, and she passed it to Poe without waiting for anyone to say anything. "This one's yours, flyboy!"

Poe laughed and took the drink graciously. "Thank you."

Rey raised her glass to him, smiling. "See what it's like?"

Poe took a drink. "Delicious!"

Vi lifted the next drink. "Okay, I've got a Yub Nub!"

"Coatee-cha tu yub nub!" Kaydel Ko said, reaching for it.

Vi's eyes widened as she passed the drink. "You speak Ewokese? There's gotta be quite a story behind that!"

Kaydel Ko nearly blew bubbles into her drink as she chuckled. "Oh, there's a whole saga. Maybe once I've finished the drink. Or two or three…"

"I'll look forward to it!" Vi said. "Next, I've got a Dagobah Slug Slinger."

"A what?" Poe exclaimed. "Oh, I have to try that!"

Vi pursed her lips. "Hey, you've already got one…"

"I'll take it," Finn said, and he took the drink Vi passed him. "You can try it..." he told Poe, who reached for it, "...after I've had a chance!" Finn took a big gulp, then made a face, his forehead scrunching up. "Oh, that's good!"

Vi looked at Chewie. "Okay, big guy, that leaves us with a T-16 Skyhopper and a Bespin Fizz. Any preference?"

Chewie shook his head at the latter drink and reached for the Skyhopper so quickly that Vi had to snatch aside the Bespin Fizz to keep him from knocking it over. "Okay, you're not a fan of Bespin. Well, your loss. The drink is great! Cheers, all!"

They all reached their glasses over the table and clinked them together.

Chewbacca and Vi arranged several bowls of chips and dip and some plates of meats, cheeses, and vegetable slices on the table, and the group got to talking and eating while trying each other's drinks. Vi told stories about the local Resistance's wins over the First Order, which grew increasingly far-fetched as the night wore on and more drinks were fetched. Rey filled in with memories from her previous time on Batuu. Poe, never one to be outdone, cheerfully contributed some outlandish stories of his own, and soon everyone was trying to one-up each other with clearly made-up stories.

Later, they left the cantina and found that darkness had fallen. Lamps and glow-panels lit the streets of Black Spire Outpost, making the streets feel cozy and familiar. It was a warm night, so they walked around with no particular destination in mind. They found a small courtyard with several deactivated droids stored away in boxes with wire-mesh fronts, and an old Imperial probe droid strung up on the wall in netting. They sat at the base of a communication tower and some nearby crates. Their conversations were more muted now, and they mostly reflected on the good time they had had that day.

"How long are you staying?" Vi asked.

"A couple more days at least," Finn said. "We don't really have a set plan. We'll leave when we feel like we've relaxed enough. Right, Poe?"

Poe grinned and slung his arm around Finn. "That's right! So, maybe never. What do you all say?"

Rose's chuckle had a slight nervous edge. "Well, I do have some work waiting for me…" As Poe began to protest, Rose added, "Which can wait! I just can't let it wait forever."

Rey moved a little closer to her. Their hands were not quite hand in hand, but they were touching, "But a few more days at least, right?"

"Oh yeah, for sure," Rose said. "At least!"

"I'm glad to hear it," Vi said. "Black Spire Outpost is a great place, and you all deserve a break."

Soon, they would head off to bed, but for the moment, they sat in companionable silence, watching the stars.


End file.
